Footwear



March 23 1937. i N, K PT N 2,074,697

FOOTWEAR Filed May 2, 1936 Patentecl Mar. 23, 1937 PATENT OFFICE FOOTWEAR John Neville Kimpton, Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales Application May 2, 1936, Serial No. 77,461

In Great Britain April 25, 1935 3 Claims.

This invention relates to footwear and particularly boots for skiing and winter sports, and the object of the invention is to facilitate the retention of the bottom of the wearers trouser legs around the top of the boots or the like, to prevent snow from entering the boot or the like, or entering the bottom of the trouser legs, the trousers being of the type usually worn for winter sports which are provided with a band or other constricting member round the bottom of the Footwear for sports purposes, and in particular skiing, has been proposed in which an annular spaceiis formedeat the upper outer portionof the footwear to receive the legwear of the wearer, by a strip or collar of leather or like material secured to the footwear.

Further with the object of preventing sand or grit working in between the foot or other part and the leather or upper of a boot or shoe, it has been proposed to provide a boot or shoe with a resilient bead (for example, comprising rubber) of substantially circular cross-section extending round the opening of the boot or shoe in U-form and terminating at the lacing or fastening thereof, said bead being attached to the edge of the shoe or boot in such a manner that it lies above the edge and projects inwardly thereof and is adapted to snugly fit the ankle and prevent theingress of sand, grit or the like.

A boot or other footwear, according to this invention, is provided with a ridge on the outer surface round and adjacent the upper edge thereof. The ridge may be constituted by a ridge element which is carried by and depends from a strip member which member is secured to the outer surface of the footwear round and adjacent the upper edge thereof with the ridge element depending downwardly therefrom. The ridge is conveniently formed from a leather or other strip enclosing a rubber core, preferably of circular section, the width of the strip being such that free marginal edge portions are left along the two longitudinal edges of the strip above the core which marginal edge portions are secured together and to the outer surface of the footwear round or adjacent the upper'edge thereof with the cored portion depending downwardly therefrom.

An embodimentof the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing as applied to a skiing boot and wherein:-

Figs. 1 and 2 are a side elevation and plan respectively of the boot, and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line X-X of Fig. 1. Referring to the drawing a leather strip I say about 2" wide and of a length sufficient to extend round the upper edge 2 of the boot, is wrapped round a central core 3, see Fig. 3, of rubber preferably of circular section, and say about %;th" diameter, the core being located on the longitudinal centre line of the strip and the two portions of the strip on each side thereof extended round the core so that marginal portions I of the strip along the longitudinal edges thereof meet diametrically above the said centre line. The said two marginalportions are joined together, preferably "as 'rie'arothe core as possible, and tothe outer surface of the boot, conveniently by stitching 4, round or adjacent the upper edge thereof. Conveniently the ridge is about from the upper edge of the boot. The ends of the. rubber core may terminate in a point or bevel 5, say about from the front mid-point of or lacing edges 6 of the boot, the ends of the leather strip or casing being continued to the said point or front edges and stitched or otherwise suitably secured in position.

The rubber core may be solid or of hollow or tubular form and it may be of circular or any other suitable section.

The core may be formed from any other suitable material such for example as leather.

In place of the leather strip enclosing the core, a strip of fabric or other suitable material may be employed.

If desired, the ridge may be made in one piece of material, conveniently of moulded rubber, a flap or strip preferably being provided on the upper edge of the ridge for securing it to the boot or other footwear.

The yieldable core 3, with its enveloping strip material I, by means of which it is attached adjacent the top of the upper and exteriorly thereof, affords an outwardly projecting ridge over which the bottom of the legs of ski trousers extend, and beneath which the constricting portion of the trouser leg may close, thus forming a barrier between the trouser leg and the top of the shoe.

By making this ridge of strip material folded or looped along the longitudinal center thereof to form a tubular portion and marginal edge portions on opposite sides thereof, and positioning a core of resilient material such as soft vulcanized rubber within this tubular portion, these edge portions may be closed one upon the other and secured together and to the material of the upper adjacent the top thereof, thus permitting limited freedom of movement of the ridge or core in relation to the upper of the shoe and minimizing likelihood of the bottom of the trou ser leg slipping over the ridge in a manner to separate the leg from the top of the upper, or from a gap between the bottom of the trouser leg and the top of the shoe. By this construction, a ridge pendant from the means securing it to the upper is provided, and a barrier preventing snow or other material from entering the bottom of the legs of the trousers is afforded substantially about the top of the boot and throughout the entire portion where such material is apt to be forced between the garment leg and the upper of the shoe.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. A boot 'or other article of footwear embodying therein a strip of material looped substantially centrally thereof and secured adjacent the top of the upper of the boot, a resilient core within the looped portion of said strip to form a pendant outwardly projecting ridge adjacent the top of the upper exteriorly thereof and adapted to co-operate with a constricting member adjacent the bottom of a trouser leg, whereby sepm aration of the trouser leg from the boot top is' prevented, and a barrier is formed preventing the passage of snow or other material between the trouser leg and the boot,

2. A boot or other article of footwear embodya constricting member adjacent the bottom of a trouser leg, whereby separation of the trouser leg from the boot top is prevented, and a barrier is formed preventing the passage of snow or other material between the trouser leg and the boot.

3. A boot or other article of footwear embodying therein an upper, a strip of flexible material having the marginal edges thereof folded one upon the other, said marginal edge portions being secured to the material of the upper adjacent and about the top thereof only, whereby a pendant, outwardly projecting ridge having its lower edge unconnected with the upper is provided adjacent and exteriorly of the top of the upper so as to co-operate with a constricting member adjacent the bottom of a trouser leg to prevent separation of the trouser leg from the boot top and form a barrier preventing the passage of snow and other material between the trouser leg and the boot.

' JOHN NEVILLE KIMPTON. 

